English · Word Candidate

marginal

/ˈmɑː.d͡ʒɪ.nəl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: marginals

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Of, relating to, or located at or near a margin or edge; also figurative usages of location and margin (edge).

Adjective

The marginal area at the edge of the salt-marsh has its own plants.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

Of, relating to, or located at or near a margin or edge; also figurative usages of location and margin (edge). — Written in the margin of a book.

Adjective

There were more marginal notes than text.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

Something or somebody that is marginal.

Noun

[…] discusses those who belong to the discipline's dominant cults, the mainliners, and their relations with the marginals and mavericks.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A constituency won with a small margin.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “marginal” mean?

Of, relating to, or located at or near a margin or edge; also figurative usages of location and margin (edge).

Is “marginal” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.